The National tribune., 1887-05-19
FIGHTING THEN OVER
What Our Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.
A Plain Statement Prom One OF Gen. Gcary's sta
Officers.

Plain Statement From One OF zen. 1ear3's stan
Officers.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: j have read
90 many accounts about lookout Mountain,
and who took il and who did rot take IT, and
who planted the FIRST flag on the top that
thought ! would like 10 have word 20 say on
the subject. ] was ia the battle above the
clouds " aud al the time was Acting Ald-de-tamp
on the staff OF Gen. John w. Gcary, who planned
aud led the assault About midnight of Che 23d
OF November 1863, while IN camp nc Nau-
hatchie, | was aroused from my siumber by an
Orderly, who told me I was wanted by Gen.
Geary. Hastily dressing myself j repaired TO
the Generals room, where i found The other
members Of the staff assembled. The General
had an official looking paper in his hand, which
he read 20 us about as follows:
Younre hereby ordered 10 assault Lookout Mount
ain with your division aud capture n II possible.
leave your discretion as 10 Tie proper DISPOSE
ton OF the troops aud tlIe manner Ina winch tie
Eauit shall be made. j viii see that you are prop
erly supported by Osterhauss Division, etc.
BY order OF GEN. Jos. HOOKER,
Commanding Corps
The above is, as nearly as l can remember,
the substance of the order as read TO Us. ] do
not for a moment pretend 10 give il verbatim.
The communication was, of course, properly
addressed 10 Gen. John w. Geary by Gen.
Hooker aud was read by Gen. Geary 10 his
staff, the General at the same time commenting
upon it and assigning TO each one of us has
a
am certain. The task of capturing or assault
ing Lookout Mountain was assigned 20 the
white Star Division" Gen. John w. Geary
commanding, 20 he supported by other troops
not belonging TO the White Star Division.
It is needless 20 20 into the details OF how we
crossed the creek, assembled the mountain, aud
then swept along its side, driving the rebels
before us. We were all on foot after
crossing the creek, il being impossible,
owing 10 the rough nature OF the ground, 10
ride q horse through the woods and over the
rocks and felled trees. ] followed, with the
other members of the staff aud the General,
immediately behind the line of battle, and saw
the prisoners pass through the lines TO the rear.
j remember ascending and descending, after
reaching the point or end of the mountain, two
or three times, carrying orders. / remember
our White Star boys lying all that evening and
night almost Immediately under the high rocks
OF palisades, and exchanging shots with the
rebels above them. i remember tramping all
the way, from the elevated point we had reached,
down the mountain aud scross the creek 10 get
ammunition for the boys; OF hunting for Gen,
Hooker and not being able TO find him, but
after a long search in the dark of finding Gen.
Butterheld, his Chief of Staff, and of getting
orders from him TO have A brigade of troops
who were then on their way to reinforce Geary,
20 load up with go extra rounds of cartridges
and carry the same TO our boys on Lookout
were under a big pine tree, about 10 o'clock at
night, and threw myself on the ground Tor a
little sleep
Az daylight / was awake and looking up
through the palisades / saw a soldier waving
eur hag-the Stars and Stripes Who il was
did not then know, nor do / to this day. /
remember Gen. Geary turning TO me and
saying:
Captain, take our division flag and hurry
up and plant il on the top"
Hastily calling an Orderly and ordering him
60 bring the flag, i soon scaled the rocks and
had our division flag waving on the same spot
where j had first seen the Stars and Stripes.
Ut was in the crevice Of the rocks that had
found a rebel flag which i now have in my
house as a relic of the war. am satisfied that
the soldier who first planted the Stars and
Stripes on the top of the palisade of Lookout
Mountain was not a member Of the White
Star Division, nor do think any of the White
Star boys ever claimed any credit for this heroic
and daring feat, performed under so many diff
culties. There not a single rebel soldier
within gunshOt of any of our troops after day
light on the morning of the 25th OF November
The planting of the Stars aud Stripes on the
palisades was more from the fact that the lucky
planter got up little earlier than the rest Of
Us, and got a furlough for his early task. IL
was a marvellous feat of early rising. THE
early bird catches the worm"
out Mountain was done by the White Star D-
vision-and think saw some ofit-yet would
not have the audacity 10 state that other troops
did not 40 their share, nor would detract from
the credit due others who participated i'm the
battle. No one man could see all that trans
pired on that memorable oath Of November. /
only speak Of what j saw, and not what some
body else saw.
j trust this matter may soon be settled as 20
who deserves the most credit for capturing
Lookout Mountain. i notice an account of
this point of the mountain having been pur-
chased by company OF capitalists for a Sum-
mer resort, the company paying 100000 for
the property. A railroad is 10 be constructed
10 the top and fine hotel located near the
palisades. suppose the same property could
have been bought on the day after the battle
for about 81 600 j trust have not trodden on
anybody's toes or hurt anyone's feelings, but
that have thrown little additional light on
this much-disputed suhect.-W. L. sToRK,
Captain and Acting Aid-de-Camp on Gen. John
W. Gesry's Staff, Baltimore, Md